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"Our Goal Should Be to Live Life In Radical Amazement"

Har Shalom Preschool & Kindergarten (HSPK)

By Melissa Shrader Editor/Publisher Fort Collins Macaroni Kid January 24, 2022

Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement ... get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.”

― Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Imagine for a moment that you are 3-years-old. You're listening to a story at circle time and are always finding something new. Today you see something new in the corner that wasn’t there before. You go to check it out. It’s a sunbeam hitting the wall and there is a shadow of a doll there. This is something new to you, you’ve seen before, but it seems different. You excitedly share this discovery during circle time at school. Your teacher listens to your amazement and develops a science curriculum about the light and shadows. Now the experimentation begins. 

This is how Montessori school works. Teachers follow your child’s sensitive periods of interest and provide a path for each child to discover with joy and happiness. There is some guidance, but the main learning comes from the child’s interest and curiosity.



Har Shalom Preschool and Kindergarten serves the primary ages of three to six years old. The teaching staff is knowledgeable, warm, kind, and they celebrate each child in their nurturing environment. The HSPK Director Ilene Forsyth brings a wonderful, kind, nurturing nature to the position ensuring all children receive a happy, solid early year’s foundation and that their accomplishments are recognized and celebrated.



HSPK teachers individualize lessons to support social skill-building, academic interests and guide young chefs in baking nutritious snacks. Your child will love the natural playground filled with trees, hills, and grassy areas. Planting and harvesting fruits & vegetables in the organic garden engage the 5 senses and the wondrous, valuable lessons of growing healthy foods. When winter comes, children enjoy sledding on the blankets of snow when the hills turn into a winter wonderland.  


Har Shalom Preschool/Kindergarten celebrates universal themes through Jewish Life and holiday cycles. With the wonderfully diverse population of students at HSPK, your child will experience all kinds of different languages and backgrounds that create a beautiful multicultural environment. HSPK honors the expression of individual character while encouraging children to regard themselves as part of a larger world in which they share responsibility.


Har Shalom Preschool and Kindergarten’s  Montessori-Inspired program values the whole child and celebrates their unique academic, spiritual, social, and emotional needs. The curriculum establishes a foundation of social and academic skills within a non-competitive environment. Each child’s independence and self-esteem is nurtured within an interactive setting of hands-on exploration both indoors and outside.  



Imagine your child at Har Shalom Preschool & Kindergarten. Meeting new friends, playing with others in a community setting, discovering new learning adventures, and independence. Imagine your child making their own healthy snacks at home and maybe making you a snack too. See-through their eyes how their day will be at HSPK. Children always live their lives with radical amazement.
Take a moment and visit the Har Shalom Preschool/Kindergarten website to learn more about the Montessori-Inspired school. You can meet the teachers, find out more about tuition and hours. If you are ready to apply for the 2021-2022 school year click here.

Article Links: 

Har Shalom https://www.congregationharshalom.org/

Har Shalom Preschool/Kindergarten Website https://www.congregationharshalom.org/preschool-pre-k.html

Pre-Registration Information and Form https://www.congregationharshalom.org/hspk-pre-registration.html

Schedule and Tuition https://www.congregationharshalom.org/schedule--tuition.html

Meet the Teachers https://www.congregationharshalom.org/hspk-staff.html

Testimonials https://www.congregationharshalom.org/preschool-testimonials.html